Red Sox All-Star Named MLB's No. 1 Trade Chip After Rafael Devers Deal

After trading Rafael Devers, it's fair to assume that there are more big moves coming for the 2025 Boston Red Sox.

The Devers trade was a dramatic divorce, not a signal of the Red Sox's intentions to buy or sell. But they still have a roster that's ripe for more trades, with a logjam in the outfield, an opening at first base, and a general shortage of reliable pitching.

Would Boston still trade one of their standout outfielders, which was a hot topic before the Devers trade, now that the designated hitter spot is open?

It's definitely a strong possibility, and according to The Athletic's Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Eno Sarris, the club's other 2024 All-Star position player would be the most desirable to other teams.

On Wednesday, Britton, Gleeman, and Sarris released their 2025 "trade deadline big board," and Red Sox fan favorite Jarren Duran was their number-one overall trade chip. They used a traffic light scale to indicate the likelihood of a trade, and Duran was assigned a yellow light.

"To be clear: There’s little reason for Boston to even entertain offers for Duran unless the return is substantial. His production has predictably fallen short of his 2024 breakout, but Duran remains a solidly above-average hitter with lots of speed and the ability to play center field," the authors wrote.

"Perhaps most importantly, he’s under team control through 2028, making him a player teams can build around. Of course, even with a sudden influx of stud prospects joining the lineup, the Red Sox could continue to build around him, too. The Padres have already been linked to Duran and surely they won’t be alone."

Duran, 28, is slashing .261/.317/.417 on the season. He's leading the majors with eight triples, but his power is down from where it was a year ago, and he's not providing quite the same value on the bases or in the field that he was during his incredible summer in 2024.

Duran has 1.5 bWAR through 74 games, which makes him a very useful player. But last season, he totaled 8.7 bWAR in 160 games, which is the type of production that usually makes a player untradeable.

Because Duran is the outfielder closest to free agency, it would make sense for Boston to trade him if they think last season was an outlier. But if that proves false, the Red Sox would look even more foolish for letting him go than they already did after dumping Devers.